Iranian President and Lawmakers Disagree on What’s Permitted by IAEA Monitors

Iranian President and Lawmakers Disagree on What’s Permitted by IAEA Monitors

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)

A dispute between Iranian President Rouhani and majority parliamentarians surfaced on Monday.

While the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and IAEA director general Raphael Grossi agreed on Iranian suspension of the Additional Protocol that permits agency monitors to visit facilities in the country unannounced, Iranian lawmakers disagree on part of what Rouhani and Grossi agreed to.

It pertains to a provision that states Tehran will cut off online transfer of data by IAEA surveillance cameras. 

But recordings will continue for three months. 

If illegal US sanctions are removed by then, Tehran will deliver the recordings and data to the IAEA. 

If not, they’ll be discarded.

A statement by Iran’s parliament said the following:

“The joint agreement and statement of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is a clear violation of the law on strategic action to lift sanctions and protect the interests of the Iranian people, and we request an interim cancellation by the Judiciary,” adding:

President Rouhani is required to implement legislation passed by parliament on this issue.

On Sunday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the following:

“Like other issues, the Islamic Republic will not (yield to unacceptable US/Western pressure.

Iran “will continue to march forward on the basis of the country’s present and future expediencies.”

“What prevents the Islamic Republic from building nuclear weapons is the Islamic way of thinking and principles, which prohibit production of all kinds of weapons, including nuclear or chemical, which would be used to massacre ordinary people.

“Massacring civilians and innocent people is the way of Americans and Western countries, but the Islamic Republic does not believe in this method and, therefore, never thinks about nuclear weapons.”

“In the meantime, that international Zionist clown, who keeps saying that ‘we will not allow Iran to build nuclear weapons’, must know that if the Islamic Republic had any decision to produce nuclear weapons, he and those bigger than him could not prevent it.”

“The issue of nuclear weapon is just a pretext.” 

“They are even opposed to us having access to conventional weapons, because they want to strip Iran of the components of power.”

“(W)e are determined to acquire nuclear capabilities proportionate to the country’s needs and this is why the level of Iran’s (uranium) enrichment will not remain (limited to) 20% and the country will take action to any extent that it needs” — according to the rule of law. 

“To achieve nuclear propulsion for other (legitimate) purposes, we may even increase uranium enrichment to 60% purity.”

“(A) contract (was) signed” and agreed to by other JCPOA signatories.

If the West complies with its obligations, bilateral differences on the agreement can be resolved.

If otherwise, the landmark agreement will dissolve.

On differences between President Rouhani and parliamentarians, Khamenei called for resolving them “through cooperation,” adding:

The law passed by parliament “must be meticulously implemented.”

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the following:

The three-month agreement between President Rouhani and IAEA director general Grossi complies in full with parliamentary legislation.

“The voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol will stop” on February 23 as explained above.

No concessions were granted to the US and E3 countries.

The “temporary bilateral technical understanding” will continue for three months, adding:

“Iran continues to implement fully and without limitation its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA as before.”

“The way to return to the deal is clear.” The US and E3 countries must fulfill their legal obligations — what’s highly unlikely.

Renegotiating the JCPOA is a nonstarter.

Nor will Iran agree to any unacceptable demands on issues of national security and its legitimate military preparedness for protection against possible aggression.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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